Doubts over new equality chair
Elizabeth Choppin, October 2006 -Disability Now
The appointment of Trevor Phillips to chair the new joint equalities commission will be a "disaster" for equal rights, according to a leading disability campaigner.
The appointment of Trevor Phillips to chair the new joint equalities commission will be a "disaster" for equal rights, according to a leading disability campaigner.
Richard Reiser, director of Disability Equality in Education, said disabled people needed "a real champion" to fight for their rights and Mr Phillips was the wrong person for the role.
He said: "His appointment will be a disaster for the equality rights agenda. He's been watering down the concept of equality ever since he has been involved at the Commission for Racial Equality."
Mr Phillips, currently the head of Britain's race watchdog, will take up the £160,000 post at the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) in 2007. The CEHR, established in February, will merge the duties of the separate equality commissions for disability, race equality and gender.
David Morris, senior disability policy adviser to the Mayor of London, was worried that the interim report of the Equalities Review a body Mr Phillips chairs showed "a great lack of knowledge about the social model" and contained "nothing on independent living or inclusive education".
He added: "If Trevor Phillips' approach to disabled people's rights is reflected in the interim review, than it shows that there will be problems."
Another key disabled campaigner, who asked not to be named, had serious doubts about the recruitment process and felt Mr Phillips did not fully understand disability "as part of the human rights agenda".
Andy Rickell, head of diversity, politics and planning at Scope, agreed the review did not sufficiently represent disability issues, but added: "The CEHR will be a learning process. Everybody, including Trevor, will be learning." Bert Massie, chairman of the DRC, said: "We need a clear break from the past, with no more special pleading but equality and human rights acknowledged as intrinsic to Britain's prosperity, security and well-being."
